Reunion at Union Cave
by Thomas Drovin
Summary: Sequel to 'Mutational Madness.' Ash and his friends arrive at Union Cave where they hear that a mysterious new Pokemon may be responsible for making passing trainers vanish. When they investigate, they discover something far more sinister hiding in the darkness of the cave. Something far more dangerous than just a wild Pokemon.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome! If you are reading this story I take it you read **'****Pokémon Darkling****'** and its sequel **'****Mutational Madness****'**. Now you're here to read my third sequel to see if it's just as good as the first two were, well I won't disappoint you! Now on with the story! _(If you HAVEN'T read my last two stories, I suggest you do otherwise THIS story won't make any sense to you. And in my stories Ash and his friends WILL be getting older as one year passes for each region. I also apologise in advance if people are out of character here as well.)_

**Author's Note:** This story takes place during Ash's travels through the Johto League after he won his first Gym Badge

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters; they belong to **Nintendo/Creatures Inc/GAME FREAK Inc.** The only thing _**I**_ own are the characters and Pokémon I make up myself.

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><p><strong>PART ONE:<strong>

The sun was shining brightly in the sky over the Johto Region, particularly over Route 32, which was the main road located between Violet City and Azalea Town. Travelling down this road, were three young travellers and their Pokémon. The first of the travellers was Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region. Ash, whose main aim in life was to one day become the world's greatest Pokémon Master, was a bright young twelve year old boy about five feet tall, with black eyes and matching black spiky hair. He was dressed in his usual outfit which consisted of black and white sneakers, blue jeans, a black tee-shirt, a blue short sleeved jacket with white sleeves and collar, dark green fingerless gloves and his favourite red and white Pokémon trainer's cap.

Walking alongside Ash was his partner and his best friend Pikachu. Pikachu was a small yellow and black striped electric mouse Pokémon about one foot, four inches tall with black eyes, large yellow ears with black tips, red cheeks and a yellow lightning bolt shaped tail. Pikachu had been Ash's very first Pokémon, given to him by his friend and mentor Professor Oak. This partnership began, when Ash had first left Pallet Town to go on his journey around the Kanto Region Pokémon Gyms. It had been a bit of a rocky relationship for these two at first, but during their travels both Ash and Pikachu had become great friends always ready to help themselves and others.

Ash and Pikachu's travels in the Kanto Region had eventually ended, with the two of them competing at the Pokémon League on the Indigo Plateau. But sadly after several promising battles they only made it to the top sixteen, as they were eliminated from the competition by a better trainer. However a few days after those events, Professor Oak sent Ash and Pikachu on an errand to the Orange Islands. He needed them to collect a mysterious gold and silver Pokéball, which had been discovered by a fellow colleague. While coming back home, Ash and Pikachu discovered the Orange Islands had a league of their own and decided to take part in it. Their travels had eventually paid off, for Ash and Pikachu actually WON the Orange League Trophy! With their victory achieved, Ash returned to Pallet Town with the Pokéball also known as the _**G.S Ball**_ for Professor Oak to study.

However, after a few days of careful study on the mysterious Pokéball. None of Oak's scientific analysis' revealed anything unusual about it, or WHAT might be inside of it. So Oak told Ash to take the _**G.S Ball**_ to Kurt, the famous Pokéball expert for further examination. Kurt was not just a Pokéball expert, but he was also the _inventor_ of the original Pokéball design and maker of all types Pokéballs used by the modern day Pokémon trainers. Kurt lived in Azalea Town located the Johto Region, and to Ash's delight, Johto had a Pokémon League there too known as the Johto League. On his journey to Azalea Town, Ash had registered himself in the Johto League. He had already managed to earn the Zephyr Badge, one of the eight badges he needed to compete in the League, at the Violet City Gym. Now Ash had his sights on Azalea Town which just happened to not only be Kurt's home, but the home of the next Gym he needed to challenge too. That little fact suited Ash and Pikachu just fine, they liked getting two tasks done at the same time.

Walking alongside Ash were his two travelling companions who had accompanied him on his journey of Johto. The first person was a girl about fourteen years of age, about five feet, four inches tall with blue eyes and orange hair. She was dressed in red and white sneakers, blue shorts held up with brown suspenders and a yellow sleeveless shirt. This was Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City and her main aim in life, was to become the world's greatest Water Pokémon Trainer. This was due to the fact that she lived in the Cerulean City Gym with her three older sisters, who were all Gym Leaders and experts with water Pokémon. Misty had joined in Ash's travels when Ash had accidently destroyed her bicycle near Viridian City. He had been trying to get an injured Pikachu to a Pokémon Centre, and his desperate flight had made him careless for other people's property. Since then Misty had stuck to Ash like glue, until he could pay her back for her bike or replace it. In actual fact the real reason Misty hung around was that she had gotten rather fond of Ash, and although she didn't know it, Ash was rather fond of her too. However the two of them were too stubborn to admit it to each other, at least out loud.

In Misty's hands was a small baby Pokémon about one foot tall with black eyes, white skin and an egg shell covered body that had several red and blue triangles on the surface. This was Togepi a spike ball Pokémon which Misty had found in her travels with Ash. When he had first hatched, Togepi had bonded instantly with Misty as she was the first person he had seen. So Misty had become Togepi's 'mother' which suited the two of them just fine. During their travels with Ash, Misty was firmly convinced that Togepi had learnt to use a Metronome attack whenever they were in trouble. Ash however didn't believe her, for whenever Misty tired to prove her belief to him, Togepi wouldn't attack when asked to! It seemed that the little Pokémon used the attack, only when he felt it was necessary and when nobody was paying attention to him.

The second person was an eighteen year old young man about five feet seven inches tall, with squinty eyes and brown spiky hair. He was dressed in blue and white sneakers, brown pants, and a light brown shirt that was covered by a green sleeveless coat with four zip up pockets down the front. In his belt he also had two special storage compartments, for he always believed in being prepared for anything. This was Brock from Pewter City, a guy who was determined to be the world's greatest Pokémon Breeder. Brock knew quite a bit about how to raise both wild and tame Pokémon, mainly because he was quite a domesticated person himself. When Ash had travelled to Pewter City Gym to earn his first badge he discovered that Flint, Brock's father, had gone travelling and left Brock in charge not only of the gym but all his younger brothers and sisters as well. Being the sole supporter of his family Brock had become quite a good cook, cleaner and trainer of Pokémon.

Thankfully on the day Brock and Ash first met, his father Flint returned home from his travels which allowed Brock to pursue his dreams at last. Ash was so impressed by Brock; he had invited him along on his Pokémon journey so they could put all his skills to better use. It was a very smart decision, for Brock's talents and skills had really helped Ash out in his travels all around Kanto. However despite all Brock's knowledge and wisdom with Pokémon he had one minor flaw. Every time he encountered a pretty looking girl on their travels like one of the Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny family, he ended up acting like a romantic fool much to the embarrassment of Ash and Misty. The only time Brock stopped acting like an idiot was when Misty would grab him by the ear, then drag him away from the source of his infatuation. This sharp pinch to his ear always managed to bring Brock back down to reality real quick.

"A Pokémon Centre at last!" Ash cried out with relief at the sight of the familiar building up ahead of them. They had been walking for days along Route 32 ever since they had left Violet City for Azalea Town, and they were just about exhausted from all their endless walking.

"Finally," Misty sighed in even greater relief. "A place to rest our Pokémon."

"Yeah and to rest our sore feet too," Brock added.

A few minutes later the trio were all standing in the lobby of the Pokémon Centre itself. There was a front desk, a videophone, some vending machines, a computer for transporting Pokémon, an eating area for trainers and Pokémon, a washroom and a door that led off to an operating theatre for injured Pokémon. Ash walked up to the front desk and tapped the counter with his hand. "Anyone here?" he called.

In response to Ash's call, the door behind the desk opened up revealing a young woman about twenty three years of age. The woman was five feet six inches tall, with blue eyes, red hair and dressed in a nurse's uniform complete with hat. Following the woman was a round pink Pokémon about three foot seven inches tall, with black eyes, pink feet, arms, tail and a pouch with a white egg inside it. A nurse's hat was perched neatly on its head and around it were three pink bangs on either side of its head.

The woman's name was Nurse Joy and her Pokémon helper was called a Chansey. No matter _which_ city or town Ash and his friends visited, be it in the Orange Islands, Kanto or Johto Leagues, the Pokémon Centres were _always_ staffed by an almost identical Nurse Joy and her Chansey. The real interesting thing about the Nurse Joy's were that they were _**all**_ related to each other in some way, making their family one of the most famous in the world of Pokémon. But to the untrained eye, nobody but the Nurse Joy's and Brock could tell the _exact _difference between them.

"Welcome to the Route 32 Pokémon Centre," Joy said with a happy smile. "How may my assistant Chansey and I help you?"

Before Ash could say anything, Brock rushed forward and grabbed Joy's hand in his own. "Hi there!" he said with a goofy love struck smile. "I'm Brock and may I say that you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

"Uh…thanks," Joy said nervously not really sure how to react to Brock's odd behaviour.

"When do you get off work?" Brock went on. "Perhaps you and I could…OW!" he broke off as Misty grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away from the desk.

"Brock," the young trainer said to him sternly. "You _**really**_ need to cool down."

"Is your friend alright?" Joy asked Ash as they watched Misty drag Brock away.

"Oh never mind Brock," Ash said casually. "He just mad."

"I see," Joy said slowly. "Well," she went on. "What can I do for you?"

"Well I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," Ash said introducing himself. "And this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pika!" Pikachu said in a friendly greeting.

"The other two you met are my friends Brock, Misty and her Pokémon Togepi," Ash continued. "We just arrived here and I was wondering if you could heal my Pokémon, they've had a very tiring time lately."

"Sure I can!" Joy said cheerfully handing over a tray. "Just pass your Pokémon to Chansey and she'll do the rest."

Obediently Ash placed his Pokéballs on the tray, which Chansey then picked up and carefully placed on a trolley. With a friendly cry of "Chansey!" the pink Pokémon then wheeled the Pokéballs away to the operating theatre for revitalisation.

"We'll inform you when your Pokémon are ready," Joy said reassuringly to Ash. "It won't take very long."

"Thanks," Ash said and walked over to the eating area of the Centre with Pikachu where Brock and Misty were waiting with all their Pokémon.

"Are you hungry Ash?" Misty asked as he got closer. "Brock's made some sandwiches."

"Great!" Ash said eagerly. "I'm starving!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said in hungry agreement.

"So Brock," Misty asked her friend as she chewed on her sandwich after feeding Togepi his own Pokémon food. "How far is it to Azalea Town now?"

"Well let me see," Brock said chewing on his sandwich while getting out his map and checking over it. "We're at the Route 32 Pokémon Centre aren't we? Well…according to this map, all we have to do is travel through Union Cave and once through it we'll be in Azalea Town."

"Fantastic!" Ash said eagerly. "As soon as we've eaten and my Pokémon are healed, we'll head straight there."

It didn't take long for Ash and his friends to eat their lunch, and by the time they were finished Chansey had returned with Ash's Pokéballs.

"Chansey!" the pink Pokémon said cheerfully as she wheeled her Pokéball laden trolley back out to the main desk.

"Here are your Pokémon," Joy said brightly as she handed the tray back to Ash. "All healed."

"Thanks," Ash said taking back his Pokéballs and placing them back on his belt. "Now come on guys," he said turning to Brock and Misty. "Let's get to Union Cave!"

"Union Cave?!" Joy gasped suddenly causing Ash to turn around. "Why do want to go there for?"

"Why to get Azalea Town of course," Ash replied simply.

"But you can't go through Union Cave!"

"Why ever not?" Misty asked in puzzlement.

"Because something's in there!" Joy said dramatically.

"What sort of something?" Brock asked intrigued by this information.

"I don't know," Joy shrugged. "It all started about a month ago, when people who had been travelling through Union Cave, told me they saw something…something _not_ human."

"A Pokémon?" Ash asked curiously.

"It _might_ be," Joy shrugged. "But if it is, it's not like any Pokémon anyone has ever seen before."

"What's it like?" Misty asked curiously.

"Nobody knows," Joy said mysteriously. "All they've heard are strange noises from the shadows, but they've never seen anything."

"Has anyone tried to find or capture it?" Ash asked eagerly.

"Several trainers have tried over the last few weeks," Joy said worriedly. "But all those who went in after it, haven't come back again."

"What do you mean?" Brock asked in growing curiosity.

"What happened to them?" Misty asked nervously.

"Nobody knows," Joy said shaking her head. "People think that the strange Pokémon got them, and because of that nobody wants to travel through Union Cave until it's clear. Officer Jenny has blocked off the cave and sent in experts but they all disappeared _too!_ The last three were led by an official from the Pokémon League, a Mr Fredrick Finder."

"What does he look like?" Ash asked suddenly.

"He's about six feet two inches tall," Joy said in puzzlement. "He has greeny blue eyes with glasses, blonde hair and he's dressed in an official Pokémon League Investigator outfit. Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm going into Union Cave to find this Pokémon, capture it and _**find**_ all the people who vanished as well!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said in agreement.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Joy said worriedly. "It could be dangerous."

"That's why we're going too," Misty said determinedly. "Besides three trainers stand a better chance of finding this Pokémon than one."

"You see?" Ash said confidently to Joy. "Nothing to worry about," he turned to Brock and Misty. "Come on guys, we're off to Union Cave!"

"Good luck!" Joy called as the trio walked out of the Centre. "And please be careful!"

"Don't worry we will!" Brock called back. "We'll be back before you know it!"

And with that they started to make their way towards Union Cave.

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><p>Well our friends are off to Union Cave to find the mystery Pokémon and the missing trainers. What will they find when they get there? You'll have to read the next chapter when it's ready to find out. Meanwhile you know the drill, read and review! Thanks are again directed to my Beta Reader Rohan and you for your reviews. <em>(Flames<em> _will be ignored of course, if you don't like my work_ _**then **__**don't read it! **__**Nobody**_ _**is forcing you to!) **_See you next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the reviews people! As a reward here is the next chapter of my story as I promised, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters; they belong to **Nintendo/Creatures Inc/GAME FREAK Inc.** The only thing _**I**_ own are the characters and Pokémon I make up myself.

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><p><strong>PART TWO:<strong>

Leaving the Pokémon Centre behind them, Ash and his friends continued walking along Route 32 until they reached a mountain range. The road they were on led into a large dark cave in the front of the mountain range, next to the cave entrance was a sign which simply read **'Union Cave.'** Underneath the sign was a smaller sign which read: **'****Warning! Unknown ****Pokémon at large**** in cave, no entry by **_**anyone **_**until further notice. By order of Officer Jenny.'**

"Well," Brock said coming to a stop by the cave entrance. "Here we are."

"Then let's not waste anymore time," Ash said practically moving to the cave entrance. "Let's get in there and look for that Pokémon!"

**00000000000**

Meanwhile not far away, a figure was watching a monitor that showed Ash and his friends at the entrance of Union Cave. Smirking to himself, the Watcher reached out with a purple slimly hand and flicked a switch on the console in front of him.

'_**Yes sir?'**_ a voice crackled out from a radio built into the console.

"We have _sssss_some more vis_sssss_itor's_sssss_," the Watcher hissed in a strange inhuman voice. "It's_sssss_ our _**'old friends**__sssss__**'**_ if you know who I'm talking about."

'_**I certainly do,' **_the voice chuckled. _**'Shall I prepare the usual welcome for them?'**_

"Pleas_sssss_e do," the Watcher said evilly. "We mus_sssss_t help our friends_sssss_ in their _sssss_search for the Pokémon of Union Cave!"

**00000000000**

There were three levels to Union Cave and it took Ash and his friends two and a half hours to search just the first two levels. So far their search had found no trace of the missing trainers, OR the mystery Pokémon for that matter. In fact the only Pokémon they had found in the cave, were the usual Zubat, Golbat and the odd Geodude.

"Nothing on the first two cave levels," Ash said thoughtfully as they all emerged onto the third level. "So that means the trainers and that mysterious Pokémon must be down here somewhere."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded in agreement at his trainer's logic.

"Sure is dark down here," Brock said looking around.

"Yeah," Misty said in nervous agreement. "It's much darker than the first two levels, how will we find anything down here?"

"Like this," Ash said grabbing a Pokéball and throwing it. "Go Cyndaquil!"

The Pokéball hit the ground, then opened up to reveal a small blue and white, long nosed squinty eyed Pokémon about one foot eight inches tall. On the little Pokémon's back fiery flames burned away merrily like spikes as he gave a friendly cry of "Cynda-quil!"

"Cyndaquil," Ash ordered his fire Pokémon "Use your flames to light up this cave level!"

With an obedient cry of "Quillllll!" the flames on Cyndaquil's back flared up higher and brighter lighting up the entire area.

"Wow!" Misty said cheerfully. "That's a lot better!"

"Toge-Toge piii!" Togepi cooed happily mimicking his trainer's joy.

"Now," Ash said determinedly. "Let's find that Pokémon!"

The three friends started to spread out and began to examine the cave level; they hadn't been searching long when Pikachu suddenly heard something. It was a strange humming noise that seemed to be coming from right underneath the cave floor where he was standing. Realizing that this noise might belong to the mysterious Pokémon they were looking for, Pikachu tried to get the other's attention. "Pika-pi! Pikachu!" he cried waving his little arms around frantically.

"Hey what's wrong with Pikachu?" Brock said noticing Pikachu's frantic behaviour.

"I think he's trying to tell us something," Misty said suggestively.

"What is it Pikachu?" Ash asked his partner as he knelt down next to him. "What are you trying us?"

Pikachu pointed to the floor of the cave where the humming noise was coming from.

"Hey guys," Ash said excitedly. "I think Pikachu just found our mysterious Pokémon for us! He's saying its here under the cave floor!"

"Well if it is," Misty said getting out a Pokéball. "Let's see if we can bring it up here and capture it."

"Okay but let's be careful," Brock said cautiously. "We don't know _what_ type of Pokémon we're dealing with here."

Leaning down on the cave floor the three trainers pressed their ears to it; they listened to the frenzied activity below them. As they listened they were unaware of a sinister looking infrared periscope that had emerged like a snake from some rocks behind them. Their every move was being watched.

"You know something," Ash said as he continued to listen to the ground. "That doesn't sound like any Pokémon to me."

"You're right," Misty said in agreement. "It sounds like machinery to me, like a…heavy drill or something."

Suddenly the hard ground gave way beneath them, opened up and sent the three trainers with their Pokémon reeling into a vast chasm below. Down…down…down…Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Togepi and Cyndaquil fell through the darkness, their bodies were turning over and over, utterly out of control, and yet somehow weightless in the stifling atmosphere of the endless chasm.

**00000000000**

When Ash, Misty and Brock woke up, they found themselves chained to the wall of what appeared to be a jail cell carved out of solid rock.

"Are you alright Ash?" Misty asked in concern.

"Yeah," Ash said slowly. "Just a bit dizzy that's all." Looking down at his belt to check on his Pokémon Ash was horrified to find that all his Pokéballs were gone, and so was Pikachu! "Ahhh!" he cried out in alarm. "My Pokémon and Pikachu are gone!"

"So are mine!" Misty cried out in realization patting her own belt.

"And mine also!" Brock added.

"My little Togepi," Misty wailed in distress. "Where is he?"

"Don't worry Misty," Ash said reassuringly. "We'll get him back…somehow."

"Quiet!" Brock hissed suddenly.

"What is it?" Ash whispered.

"There is someone in this cell with us," Brock said staring at a dark corner of their cell.

"Who's there?" Misty called out nervously.

At first there was silence then they heard a pair of voices say this:

"_**Prepare for trouble!"**_ A woman's voice said first.

"_**Make it double!"**_ A man's voice said almost immediately.

"Oh no!" Misty groaned.

"It's _them_ again isn't it?" Ash said wearily.

"Oh yes," Brock sighed sadly. "I'm afraid so."

"_**To protect the world from devastation;"**_

"_**To unite all people within our nation;"**_

"_**To denounce the evils of truth and love;"**_

"_**To extend our reach to the stars above;"**_

The light suddenly came on. There, chained to the wall in front of them, was a man and a woman both about twenty three years old. The woman was about five feet seven inches tall, with blue eyes and bright red hair. She was dressed in a light grey short sleeved shirt with matching shorts, long dark grey gloves and matching boots. The man was about five feet eight inches tall, with green eyes and lavender blue hair. He was dressed in a similar outfit to the woman, except he was wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants. Both of them had a bright red **'R'** on the front of their shirts.

Also chained to the wall between the man and the woman was a Meowth. Meowth was cat like Pokémon about one foot four inches tall, with black cat eyes, a white furry body, a brown tipped curly tail, and black ears with a gold charm lodged in between them.

"_**Jessie!"**_

"_**James!"**_

"_**Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"**_ Jessie shouted.

"_**Surrender now or prepare to FIGHT!"**_ James finished.

"_**Meowth!" **_Meowth said completing the motto._** "That's right!"**_

"Team Rocket?" Ash said in surprise. "What the heck are you three doing locked up in here?"

"Well," Jessie said sheepishly. "Originally we _WERE_ going to set a trap for you twerps and your Pokémon."

"But it was then that we heard about the mysterious Pokémon that was running about Union Cave," James continued.

"And being the greedy Team Rocket members you are," Misty said scornfully catching on to what they meant. "You wanted to capture that Pokémon yourselves to use it for your own ends."

"Yeah we did," Meowth said in confirmation. "When that Pokémon League Official Mr Finder turned up. We diverted away his helpers and took their place, as you know we're masters of disguise. Anyway," he went on. "We were searching level three when we heard this noise coming from the cave floor. We bent down to listen, then the ground opened up, we fell down, blanked out and found ourselves here with no sign of Mr Finder."

"Well," Brock said thoughtfully. "We can be sure that it is no Pokémon, I mean Pokémon don't lock humans up and steal their Pokémon now do they?"

"I just wish I knew who it was," Ash said angrily. "I want Pikachu back!"

Just as Ash spoke the door to their cell opened up. In stepped a thirty year old man about five feet, eight inches tall with brown eyes and black hair. He was dressed up in a uniform that made him look like a Team Rocket Grunt complete with hat. But instead of being black, the man's outfit was dark green and lacked a big Red **'R'**, he also had a gun in his belt and several Pokéballs as well. "Hello," he said cheerfully to his prisoners.

"Who the hell are you?" Jessie said angrily.

"Yeah and where's our Pokémon?!" Ash demanded to know.

"Now that's no way to talk to an _'old friend,' _is there?" the man said mockingly. "As for your Pokémon they are the main reason I'm here. My employer wants to have a word with you all regarding them."

"And who might that be?" Brock asked suspiciously for there was something familiar about this man that he couldn't quite place.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough," the man said mysteriously. So saying he pressed a button on a panel outside the door, causing all the chains in the cell to open up and release their occupants.

"We're free!" James and Meowth cried out together in joy.

"Knock it off you two!" Jessie snapped irritably to her team mates.

"Yeah," Misty said in agreement. "In case you haven't noticed we're a long way from being free."

"Quite right," the man said drawing his gun and standing by the door waiting for them. "Such a shame guys like _me_ get fired and guys like _you _stay employed," he said scornfully to Team Rocket. "But never mind poor old Eccles and his friend Blake they can just take their chances!"

"You know us?" Jessie said in puzzlement.

"Of course I know you!" the man snapped irritably. "I'm Eccles! I was one of the senior Team Rocket Grunt on the _**'S.S Anne' **_with my friend Blake. The boss sent us to help you steal Pokémon for one of your crazy schemes and because of your stupidity we get _'blasted off'_ and then fired as the Boss needed a scapegoat all because YOU three were absent!"

"Oh yeah!" Meowth said in sudden remembrance. "I remember you now! Hey I always wondered what happened to you and Blake after that mess up."

"We found _new_ employment," Eccles said proudly. "From someone who _**truly **_appreciates us."

"Well instead of going down memory lane," Brock said impatiently. "Why don't you take us to him?"

"This way," Eccles said as he turned and left with Ash, Brock, Misty and Team Rocket following close behind him.

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><p>Hmm! Do we remember WHO Eccles work for? You probably know already, but you don't know <em>everything!<em> You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what I mean. Meanwhile read and review like always, thanks again to my Beta Reader Rohan for his work on this chapter. In the meantime feel free to tell your friends all about my stories too. See you later!


	3. Chapter 3

Okay people here is…chapter three as I promised. This is where things in this story start moving, enjoy!

_(One small detail, I am **AWARE** there is a character called Green in the world of Pokémon. However when I first thought up and wrote these stories I was **UNAWARE **of that fact at the time so don't bother pointing it out to me. Rest assured MY character also called Green is my OWN creation. I just thought a name like Edward Green sounded good for a scientific villain who is a disgraced Trainer/Professor.)_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters; they belong to **Nintendo/Creatures Inc/**GAME FREAK Inc.**** The only thing _**I**_ own are the characters and Pokémon I make up myself.

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><p><strong>PART THREE:<strong>

Eccles led Ash and the others through a passage cut through the solid rock to a concealed door in the cave wall. He opened it up and urged them all forwards. They found themselves in an underground base. Rooms and corridors were formed from the natural rock, though they showed signs of having been shaped and enlarged. It was a grim, gloomy place, like the underground lair of some savage beast. Eccles led them along the corridors and into a long, thin, irregularly-shaped room that appeared to be a combined laboratory, workshop and communications centre, with work benches and instrument consoles contrasting strangely with the grim rock walls.

An extraordinary figure swung round from a console to confront them. During all their travels through the Kanto, Orange and Johto Leagues neither Ash or his friends, nor Team Rocket had ever seen such a hideous thing. It was a humanoid like creature about five feet, eight inches tall with blue hair. It was wearing a tattered white lab coat, a green button up shirt with blue neck tie and black tattered pants. It had purple slimly skin, clawed hands, slimly purple feet, yellow eyes and a bloated blue mouth. "Well, well, well!" the creature hissed in a strange inhuman voice. "If it is_sssss_n't my old friends_sssss_, how are you all doing?" he asked.

"Who…who…_what_ are you?" Ash finally managed to ask at last.

"You don't remember me?" the creature said in mock surprise. "Well that's_sssss_ unders_sssss_tandable," it went on casually. "I admit I've gone through _sssss_some changes_sssss_ _sssss_since we las_sssss_t met, perhaps_sssss_ _this__**sssss**_ will jog your memories_sssss_." He pointed to his shirt. Looking carefully Ash and the others saw that the creature was wearing a badge that looked a lot like the Earth Badge; the only difference was it was black with a red ruby in its centre. All at once everyone knew who this creature was.

"Oh my god!" Ash cried in sudden realization. "That's the Mammonite Badge!"

"But it _can't_ be!" Meowth said in disbelief. "That means it's…it's…"

"That'ssssss right," the creature nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm Profess_sssss_or Edward Green, the Pokémon Darkling."

"But you _**can't**_ be Green!" Misty exclaimed violently. "You were blown up and burnt to death in your underwater lab at Kingler Reef! And that was at the Orange Islands, we all saw it!"

"Never the less_sssss_," Green said grandly. "I _sssss_survived."

"How?" Brock asked curiously. He had encountered Green before two years ago, with Ash and Misty at his Health Farm near Viridian City. But he hadn't encountered the evil scientist in the Orange Islands; he had been working with Professor Ivy on Valencia Island at the time. However once he met up again with Ash and Misty back in Pallet Town, the two of them had told Brock all about their adventure at Kingler Reef during the last year.

"A _sssss_simple twis_sssss_t of fate," Green said mysteriously.

"I know how!" Jessie suddenly spoke up. "With Pokékozene 80, that special chemical you made that can mutate humans and Pokémon together."

"That's_sssss_ right," Green said in genuine surprise. "How did you know that?"

"That's easy," Jessie replied simply. "I noticed a canister of the stuff hanging on the wall; it was in your storeroom as Eccles was bringing us in. Now we see you like this so it's obvious you've been mutated with a Pokémon. In other words you've become a Pokémutt, a Pocket Mutation."

"Very clever," Green said impressed at Jessie's guess.

"What exactly DID happen to you Professor?" James asked the scientist curiously.

"Well firs_sssss_t of all," Green said turning his attention to Ash and Misty. "Do you remember our las_sssss_t encounter at Kingler Reef in the Orange Islands_sssss_?" he asked them.

"Oh I remember," Ash said grimly. "You were sinking ships with your spliced Pokémon Ultimateon, and then turning the survivors of the wrecks into water Pokémutts."

"You were going to turn _us_ into Pokémutts too," Misty went on with the story. "But your 'subjects' revolted after Ash battled your Ultimateon with his Charizard and defeated it."

"Oh yeah!" Meowth said suddenly. "I remember now! After your Ultimateon got beaten up, you used your Latch. But Charizard threw Latch onto you after he was weakened by your Pokémutts. Then the two of you both crashed into some barrels loaded with Pokékozene 80."

"When that happened you fired your gun into the barrels, causing the whole place to explode into flames. We all had to hightail it out of there before we were roasted alive," Jessie said completing the story.

"We always wondered what happened to you," James said thoughtfully. "I thought you just died in the fire myself."

"I can a_sssss_sure you that I did not," Green corrected him. "When I was_sssss_ thrown onto the barrels_sssss _with my Latch, we were both coated with Pokékozene 80. The chemical caus_sssss_ed a _sssss_spontanious_sssss_ tiss_sssss_ue amalgamation between the two of us_sssss_, and I became like this_sssss_."

"Half human and half Pokémon," Brock said grimly in realization.

"Correct," Green nodded. "But I now have increas_sssss_ed longevity and a more mass_sssss_ive intellect, a glorious_sssss_ trans_sssss_formation I call it."

"Yeah but that's not all," Eccles suddenly spoke up. "The Professor here now also possesses ALL of his Latch's attacks, strengths, and weaknesses."

"_Sssss_shut up Eccles_sssss_!" Green snapped angrily to his assistant. "I'm telling the _sssss_story here!"

"Yes sir," Eccles said obediently falling silent.

"Now," Green resumed. "As_sssss_ I was_sssss sssss_saying. When I was_sssss_ mutated into my pres_sssss_ent form, I managed to e_sssss_scape my laboratory through a crack in the wall that was_sssss_ letting the _sssss_sea in. _Sssss_so I _sssss_simply _sssss_swam out ju_sssss_st in time! The laboratory exploded _sssss_seconds_sssss_ afterwards_sssss_, but fortunately I managed to make it to the ssssssurface. When I awoke I found my_sssss_self wa_sssss_shed up on the di_sssss_stant _sssss_shore of the Johto Region, I was_sssss_ alive!"

"What happened to you then?" Ash asked.

"After I had regained my _sssss_strength, I managed to locate and free my old lab a_sssss_si_sssss_stant's_ssssss_ Eccles_sssss_ and his_sssss_ friend Blake. We then came here to Union Cave, where I had _ssssss_set up this_sssss_ underground laboratory a few year's_sssss_ ago."

"But _why?_" Brock demanded to know. "Why set up here in Union Cave of all places?"

"Ah!" Green smiled getting out of his chair. "There's_sssss _a very good rea_sssss_son for that, follow me and I'll _sssss_show you."

Leading his prisoners out of his lab with Eccles bringing up the rear, Green led them down another stone corridor. The corridor eventually led into a large underground carven and in the carven itself, Ash and the others were met by the most incredible sight. The whole carven was filled with _all _the missing trainers and their Pokémon that Nurse Joy had been talking about! They were all under the guard of Green's other assistant Blake. Blake was about five feet, nine inches tall with green eyes and brown hair; like his friend Eccles he was wearing the same outfit complete with hat, gun and Pokéballs. None of the prisoners seemed to notice Blake; they were all working away like ants. The trainers were digging with picks and shovels, while their Pokémon partners helped out by using their attacks, paws, tails and tentacles. Among these working Pokémon were all of Brock, Misty and Ash's Pokémon led by Ash's Pikachu! Only Togepi and Team Rocket's Pokémon were absent from all the digging work.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried in joyfully relief at finding his partner again. However the little electric mouse Pokémon didn't react to Ash's voice, he just ignored him and kept working along with all the others.

"Alright Green," Misty said angrily. "What have you done to our Pokémon?"

"And what have you done to all these trainers and their Pokémon?" Brock added.

"Me?" Green said innocently. "I have done nothing, why don't you a_sssss_sk Blake as_sssss_ he's_sssss_ the over_sssss_seer here? He can put your minds_sssss_ at ea_sssss_se."

"I sure can," Blake nodded. "You see," he explained. "Everyone here in this carven are all under the control of Eccles' Pokémon partner."

He pointed up to a small platform set up in the middle of the carven; on it connected up to several electrodes was a Hypno. Hypno was a yellowed skinned Pokémon about five feet, three inches high with black eyes, pointy ears and nose. Growing around the physic Pokémon's neck was large white mane making it look like he was wearing a collar. In Hypno's right hand was a pendulum which he was swinging back and forth, causing it to send out its hypnotic waves of energy to everyone in the carven. Everyone except Togepi and the three other Pokémon, which were locked in a cage at the base of Hypno's platform.

The first Pokémon was James' Weezing, who had been his constant companion for the last three years of his travels. Weezing was round three foot eleven inch tall, black eyed, purple poison Pokémon. Sitting next to Weezing was Jessie's Arbok, her first loyal Pokémon when she started her travels with James three years ago. Arbok was a black eyed, purple snake Pokémon about eleven feet six inches tall. Sitting next to Arbok was Jessie's other Pokémon Wobbuffet, a recent new comer to Team Rocket's ranks. Wobbuffet was a squinty eyed, blue skinned psychic Pokémon about four feet three inches tall with two toed feet, two long arms and a black tail. Jessie had accidently acquired Wobbuffet while in travelling pursuit of Ash and his friends Pokémon. However Jessie soon discovered Wobbuffet was a very loyal Pokémon, but he _did_ have his faults which irritated her to no end. The first fault was that Wobbuffet kept coming out of his Pokéball at the most inappropriate time, especially when Jessie didn't need him out. The second fault was that Wobbuffet could **not** perform any offensive attack against an opponent! All he could do was use psychic defensive moves to protect himself and his team mates from an opponents attack.

Seeing their trainers turn up, three of caged Pokémon cheered up immediately despite the fact they were all still prisoners. Arbok just sat where he was, not moving as if in a trance.

"Togepi!" Misty cried happily.

"Toge-piii!" Togepi cooed happily seeing his 'mother' again.

"Wobbuffet you're okay!" Jessie cried in relief. Although she wouldn't admit it to her two team mates, she really did care for the annoying psychic Pokémon.

"Wob!" Wobbuffet said cheerfully.

"Hey," Meowth asked Eccles. "How come these four are locked up instead of working?"

"Well," Eccles said matter of factly. "Weezing has no limbs required to help with the digging. As for Wobbuffet he's a psychic type Pokémon, so my Hypno's hypnosis attacks don't work on him. However Arbok IS under the control of my Hypno, so he's guarding the cage as well as helping the other two keep Togepi company. You can see that the little guy is too young to dig anything anyway."

"But _**WHAT**_ are you digging for anyway?" Brock asked in puzzlement. "What are you looking for that needs so many diggers?"

"Jewels_sssss_," Green replied simply.

"Jewels?!" Team Rocket all cried together their eyes lighting up in excitement at this unexpected announcement.

"Yes_sssss_ jewels_sssss_," Green said in confirmation. He pointed to a corner of the carven where there was a great pile of glittering jewels all newly cleaned and polished. Green's workers had plainly found a fortune! The jewels were a mixture of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires; they all glittered in the natural light of the carven like stars. Jessie James and Meowth slowly edged their way to the pile, but Blake stood in front of them waving them away with his gun. "Oh no you don't!" he said to them warningly. "You can look, but not touch."

"Awwwww!" the trio groaned in disappointment as they reluctantly stepped back.

"What do want jewels for Green?" Ash asked the mutated scientist suspiciously. "You've always been hell bent on splicing Pokémon for your 'research.'"

"Alas_sssss_" Green sighed in mock sadness. "In order to carry out my re_sssss_search, I need equipment. And as_sssss_ you know equipment co_sssss_st's_sssss_ money. That's_sssss_ why I _sssss_set this_sssss_ place up, my workers_sssss_ dig up all the jewels_sssss_ I need. When I have enough Eccles_sssss_ here _sssss_sells_sssss_ the jewels_sssss_ to all the local jewelers_sssss_ in Azalea Town. As_sssss _you can _sssss_see by all our equipment, we've made quite a bit of money for ours_sssss_elves_sssss_."

Suddenly there was a buzzing sound which caused all of the hypnotized trainers and their Pokémon to stop working and stand silently still like statues.

"What's going on?" Misty asked looking around.

"Time for your nourishment Professor," Eccles said looking at his watch.

"_Ssssss_so it is_sssss_," Green said in agreement. "Pick out a worker for me Blake."

"Right away sir," Blake said obediently and went off among the workers and their Pokémon.

"W…w…what did he mean 'time for your nourishment?'" James asked suddenly afraid.

"Well you remember what Eccles_sssss_ and I told you about the new me?"

"You said that you possess all of your Latch's attacks and strengths, with an increased lifespan and intelligence."

"Correct," Green said in conformation. "Unfortunately I now al_sssss_so poss_ssss_ess_ssss_ all of my Latch's_sssss_ weakness_ssss_ess_ssss_ as_sssss_ well."

"You do?"

"Oh yes_sssss_," Green nodded. "And one of my prime weakness_ssss_ess_ssss_ is_sssss_ a craving for blood."

"Blood?" Misty said quietly gripping Ash's arm.

"Yes_sssss_," Green said evilly enjoying her terror. "You _sssss_see Leech and Latch are blood _sssss_sucking Pokémon and require blood for nouri_sssss_shment, as_sssss_ I am now half Latch…"

"You now need blood for your own nourishment," Brock finished in a horrified voice.

"Exactly," Green said his smile getting wider.

"And that's why you've got all these trainers and their Pokémon under your control," Ash said in an equally horrified voice.

"Right again," Green nodded. "As_sssss_ the_sssss_se trainers_sssss_ and their Pokémon work, they produce a lot of blood. _Sssss_so at regular intervals_sssss_ I _sssss_stop work and Blake pick's_sssss _out a worker for me, like now."

Just then Blake came back with a trainer he had selected; it was a young girl of about eighteen with lovely brown hair and green eyes staring straight ahead of her. "I found one sir," he reported.

"Excellent," Green said looking the girl up and down. "_Sssss_she'll do nicely."

"You get away from her!" Brock yelled protectively.

He tried to step in front of Green but Blake and Eccles forced him back with their guns. "No heroics pretty boy!" they both said warningly.

While this was going on Green had gone up to the hypnotized girl and planted his face on her neck. He then opened up his mouth and a slurping sucking noise was heard, immediately the girl started to look drowsy.

"I can't watch this," Misty said turning away in disgust.

"Me neither," Jessie said burying her face on James' shoulder.

"How can you two let Green do this?!" Ash yelled angrily to Blake and Eccles. "Can't you see he's killing that girl?"

"No he's not," Blake said calmly. "The Professor always leaves his victims enough blood so they can recover and continue their work."

As he finished speaking Green removed his mouth from the girl's neck and moved away. The girl was still staring straight ahead, but now she looked weaker and paler than when Blake had first brought her in.

"Carry on with your work," Green ordered. Obediently the girl walked back to her fellow trainers and their Pokémon, at a silent command they all returned to work.

"How much lower can you stink Green?" Ash yelled furiously to the mutated scientist. "You're going to turn us into mindless slaves just to dig your jewels and provide you with food!"

"Well I admit I _**HAD**_ thought of that," Green said admittedly. "But I have thought of _sssss_something _better_ for you."

"Yeah like what?!"

"To dig the_sssss_se tunnels_sssss_," Green told his audience. "I had to build a _sssss_special excavation machine. But it needs_sssss_ a captive human mind to drive it."

"W…W…What do you mean?" Meowth stuttered now very afraid.

"You will _sssss_see, you will _sssss_see," Green hissed evilly. "Our old driver is_sssss_ nearing the end of his_sssss_ u_sssss_seful powers_sssss_. But now we have other's_sssss_ to take his_sssss_ place. Do we not, A_sssss_sh Ketchum?"

Ash and the others drew back in horror as the meaning of Green's rhetorical question sank in. Just then there was a loud scraping sound as Green's excavator emerged into the light of the carven. It was an incredible sight: the whole excavator was designed to look like a giant Sandslash. It looked just like the real Pokémon right down to the black eyes, brown spiky back and the long white claws on its hands used for digging. The big difference was that the excavator was six feet tall and in a hollowed out area just set into the giant robotic chest, crouched a shape that was recognisably human. Tendrils of many colours connected the head into the machine, and as it emerged into the light they saw the figure was alive, a living mind enslaved to drive the machine. Living, but in a fearfully wasted state.

It was a man about six feet two inches tall with greeny blue eyes, blonde hair and glasses. Ash, Brock and Misty gazed bemusedly at the man. Surely his appearance was familiar. No, not his appearance. His _description._

"Oh my god," Meowth said in terrified realization.

"You know who that is?" Ash asked the terrified Team Rocket.

"Of course we do twerp," Jessie said shakily.

"It's that guy from the Pokémon League who we helped to investigate Union Cave," James said grimly. "It's Mr Fredrick Finder!"

* * *

><p>There you have it, what a cliff-hanger! I told you this chapter would get this story moving! Is Green's excavator the terrible fate for Ash and ALL his friends? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! Thanks again to my Beta Reader Rohan for his help on this again too. Meanwhile read and review like always! See ya then!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

And now people, here is the thrilling conclusion of **'Reunion at Union** **Cave'**! Here we will see if Ash and his friends can escape Green's evil plans. Enjoy!

**Author's Notes:** To all my readers, yes I am _**AWARE**_ there is a character called Green in the world of Pokémon. However when I first thought up and wrote these stories I was _**UNAWARE **_of that fact at the time so don't bother pointing it out to me. Rest assured MY character also called Green is my OWN creation. I just thought a name like Edward Green sounded good for a scientific villain who is a disgraced Trainer/Professor.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters; they belong to **Nintendo/Creatures Inc/GAME FREAK Inc.** The only thing _**I**_ own are the characters and Pokémon I make up myself.

* * *

><p><strong>PART FOUR:<strong>

Ash and the others watched wordlessly as Green's excavation machine came to a full stop in the centre of the cavern next to Hypno's platform. At a signal from Green, both Blake and Eccles opened up the machine reached in and dragged the limp figure of Mr Finder out. The horribly emaciated face told the story immediately, but Ash ran forward to check his pulse in case there was any hope of life. There wasn't one. "You monster!" he yelled angrily. "You killed him!"

"Once life functions_sssss_ are extinct," Green said ignoring all of Ash's angry words. "The driver is_sssss_ no longer u_sssss_seful as_sssss _a motive force for the excavator."

"But you killed him!" Ash protested.

"A wa_sssss_ste," Green admitted with a shrug. "But we've had the be_sssss_st of Mr Finder. Now you can watch us_sssss_ fit in the replacement driver, and any one of you will do nicely!"

"Yeah anybody but us!" Jessie cried in terror.

"We're not cut out for forced labour!" James cried out equally terrified.

"Yeah so we'll just leave you to it!" Meowth finished and they tried made a break for it. As they did so they stumbled into Blake and Eccles, who hadn't been expecting their prisoners to run. They all fell down in a heap on top of Green's two assistants causing them to accidentally fire their guns as they hit the ground. A bullet from Eccles' gun ricocheted off one of the cavern walls, and then it blew the lock off the cage that was holding Togepi, Wobbuffet, Arbok and Weezing prisoner. The freed Pokémon happily ran straight back to their trainers, with the exception of Arbok who just sat where he was waiting for orders.

"Togepi!" Misty cried happily picking up the baby Pokémon.

"Toge-piii!"

"Thank god you're okay!" Jessie cried happily as she and James hugged their Pokémon partners.

Meanwhile a bullet from Blake's gun had ricocheted off another part of the cavern wall, hitting the platform that Eccles' Hypno was standing on. There was a sudden bang and a flash of blue sparks, as the electrodes that were connecting Hypno to the platform shorted out and exploded. Hypno was blown clear off the platform and fell in a dazed heap at the bottom.

"Oh no, Hypno!" Eccles cried in horror and quickly went to check up on his Pokémon partner.

"Blake you idiot!" Green yelled furiously to his recovering assistant. "Thank's_sssss_ to your careless_ssss_ness_ssss_ you'vedes_sssss_troyed my hypnotis_sssss_m machine!"

Ash and the others were suddenly aware that all the trainers and their Pokémon, who had been under Green's control were starting to get their senses back; they were now all looking around at their surroundings in dazed confusion.

"They're all snapping out of their trance!" Brock cried out in delight as all his lost Pokémon came back to him. Jessie's Arbok, along with all of Misty's Pokémon came back too. Leading all of Ash's returning Pokémon was Pikachu himself, he happily jumped right into Ash's arms with a joyful cry of "Pika!"

"Pikachu!" Ash said happily hugging his partner. "Glad to have you back buddy!" He then turned his attention to Green, who was fuming with anger that all his plans were being disrupted like this. "You're finished Green, your little mining operation has gone up in smoke!"

"You may have ruined my plans_sssss _A_sssss_sh," Green admitted. "But I can _sssss_still deal with you per_sssss_sonally!"

"Okay Green," Ash said getting into a fighting position with his Pokémon ready to back him up. "If you want a battle then you've got one!"

"Good!" Green said in satisfaction.

"Okay Noctowl go to it!"

Noctowl was an owl Pokémon about five feet, three inches tall. He had large brown eyes for seeing in the dark, along with powerful wings for flight and equally powerful feet for defence. Normally Noctowl's have a light brown coloured feathered body along with matching coloured feet and head crest. Their wings are normally dark brown with matching tail feathers, to help them blend into tree branches when they sleep during the day.

However Ash's Noctowl had _white_ feet as well as a matching head crest. His wings were _light brown _in colour and the rest of his head and body was a dull gold colour. The reason for this was that Ash's Noctowl was a _**'shiny'**_ Pokémon, a rare breed of Pokémon that was born with a different colouring than regular Pokémon of its kind. When caught by a trainer like Ash, _**'shiny'**_ Pokémon tended to glitter as they emerged from their Pokéball to indicate how special they were. "Whoooo!" Noctowl cried proudly flapping his wings as he did so.

"Ha!" Green sneered unimpressed by his _**'shiny'**_ Pokémon opponent. "A Noctowl! This_sssss_ will be eas_sssss_y!"

"That's what _**you**_ think!" Ash said determinedly. "Noctowl use Hypnosis!"

Noctowl obediently flew forward opening his eyes wide, releasing a hypnotic beam with the intention of putting his opponent to sleep. Green just smiled at this attack then reached into his lab coat pocket and produced a mirror. He quickly held up the mirror in front of his face, which caused Noctowl's attack to be deflected right back at him. As soon as the hypnotic beam hit Noctowl, he closed his eyes and fell to the ground fast asleep.

"Hey!" Ash yelled angrily. "That's not fair! You deflected Noctowl's attack with that mirror!"

"I told you I could ea_sssss_sily defeat your Pokémon," Green said triumphantly.

"But that's only because you cheated!" Misty exclaimed furiously.

"I prefer to call it 'thinking on my feet'," Green said smugly. "_Sssss_something which no Pokémon can do when in the wild or with a trainer. Now its_sssss_ my turn, I think I'll u_sssss_se a _sssss_slam attack!" So saying Green ran forward and slammed himself into the sleeping Noctowl, he went flying through the air and crashed into the far end of the cavern wall where he was knocked senseless.

"Oh no!" Ash cried in dismay. He quickly got out his Pokéball, which he and the others had recovered from Blake and Eccles when they had fallen over. "Noctowl return!"

"One to me I think!" Green said smugly as Noctowl vanished.

"I'm not beaten yet Green! Go for it Cyndaquil!"

"Cyndaquil!" the little squinty eyed Pokémon cried out as he moved forward to meet his opponent.

"Cyndaquil use flame-thrower!"

"Quillllll!" Cyndaquil released a huge stream of flame from his mouth but Green quickly jumped out of the way. Before Ash or Cyndaquil knew what was happening, Green wrapped himself around Cyndaquil's body and squeezed the little fire Pokémon until he was unconscious. "Another one to me I think," Green said arrogantly as he released Cyndaquil.

"How…how did you do that?" Misty stammered as Ash recalled Cyndaquil.

"_Sssss_simple," Green replied. "As_sssss _you know Leech and Latch are extremely flexible Pokémon, _sssss_so flexible in fact that they can wrap them_sssss_selves_sssss_ around anything. Becau_sssss_se I am now half Latch, I can do the _sssss_same thing."

"Oh great!" Brock muttered to Misty. "I wonder what other tricks he's got up his sleeve?"

"I dread to think," Misty said with a shudder.

"Come on A_sssss_sh," Green called tauntingly. "Bring out your next Pokémon!"

'_I need a strategy to beat him!'_ Ash thought to himself. Suddenly an idea hit him, a risky idea but worth a try. "Okay Totodile, its your turn!"

Totodile was yet another Pokémon Ash had caught at the start of his travels in Johto. He was a blue and white skinned water Pokémon, about two inches tall with brown eyes, a big toothy mouth and brown slates growing down his back all the way to his tail. "Toto-Toto-Totodile!" Totodile cried as he happily danced forward.

"Totodile," Ash instructed his Pokémon. "Use Water Gun!"

Opening his mouth Totodile released a huge stream of water straight at Green. But just before it hit the mutated scientist, he jumped out of the way again.

"Ha!" Green laughed as he landed back on the ground. "That was_sssss_ really _sssss_stupid A_sssss_sh! _Sssss_surely you knew I would dodge _sssss_such a _sssss_simple attack!"

"Oh I knew," Ash said confidently. "In fact I was _counting_ on you doing that!"

"You were?" Green said in puzzlement. "Why?"

"Just look at your feet."

Looking down, Green saw that the part of the cavern floor he was standing on was now covered in water. "My feet are wet," he said carelessly. "_Sssss_so what?"

"In case you've forgotten, water _conducts _electricity!"

"Oh no!" Green yelled suddenly turning pale.

"Oh yes!" Ash yelled in triumph. "Pikachu, use a thundershock!"

"PI-KA-CHUUUUUU!" Pikachu cried, releasing a huge bolt of electricity that flew through the air and struck the wet floor that Green was standing on. The electric attack quickly travelled through the water and up Green's legs.

"_**AAAAAAAAA!"**_ Green screamed as the electricity flowed through his body.

"Okay Pikachu that should do," Ash called to his partner. Obediently Pikachu stopped and as soon as the attack finished, Green fell to the ground stunned.

"Alright we won!" Ash cried happily. "Good job Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu said happily.

"You too Totodile!"

"Toto-Toto-Totodile!" the little water Pokémon said happily dancing a joyful jig.

"Nice one Ash!" Brock said clapping Ash on the back.

"Yeah great work!" Misty added in happy agreement.

"Toge-piiii!"

All around them the Pokémon trainers and their Pokémon, who had been under Green's control, gave Ash a round of applause. They had been watching the battle and they were eternally grateful for Ash in rescuing them, while teaching Green a much needed lesson at the same time. However the only people who WEREN'T clapping were Blake and Eccles, they were staring at Green's excavating machine which was sitting forgotten where it had stopped. It was giving off an alarming buzzing sound and its controls were shorting out.

"You fools!" Blake yelled to Ash and his friends. "Your little strategy has shorted out the excavator!"

"It's gonna blow!" Eccles yelled quickly recalling his stunned Hypno. "I'm out of here!"

Blake and Eccles quickly ran out of the cavern, just as the excavator exploded. As it did so the whole cavern began to shake and a huge rock fall fell on the stunned Professor Green burying him completely.

"Oh no!" Misty cried out in concern. "We have to get him out of there!"

"Forget it Misty!" Ash shouted. He grabbed his friend's hand and dragged her towards the cavern's exit, where Brock and his Pokémon were busy escorting all the other escaping trainers to safety. "Green's had it! And the whole cavern is caving in; we've got to get out of here!" He dragged Misty towards the exit where the last few trainers had just left. "Is that everyone?" he asked Brock as they joined him.

"Everyone except Team Rocket," Brock said looking around. "Where are they anyway?"

"They're over there," Misty said pointing to the far corner of the cavern. There, on their hands and knees where all of the jewels that Green had dug up were stacked, were Team Rocket picking up as many of the precious stones as they could carry. After they had accidentally made Blake and Eccles free their Pokémon and destroy the machine Eccles' Hypno was connected to, they had suddenly found themselves forgotten when Ash and Green had battled. While they were battling Meowth had decided it might be a good idea to grab a few jewels, and being the greedy people that they were Jessie and James had agreed. Now with Green beaten and the whole cavern caving in, they were frantically trying to finish what they started.

"Will you three forget about those stupid jewels and come on?" Misty yelled at them impatiently.

"Forget it twerp!" Jessie yelled back. "This time we are _not_ leaving empty handed!"

Just as she finished speaking the whole cavern shook violently, so violently that it cause Team Rocket to drop all the jewels they had painstakingly collected.

"Our jewels!" Jessie cried in horror.

"Forget it Jessie," James yelled in terror. "I don't want to be buried alive in here!"

"I second that!" Meowth said in agreement.

So saying, they both grabbed Jessie and ran out of the cavern with Ash, Misty and Brock following close behind. Just as they left the whole cavern roof caved in burying everything in it completely.

**000000000000**

A few minutes later, Ash and the others all emerged from Union Cave where their adventure had begun.

"Out at last!" Misty sighed in relief.

"Yeah," Ash added. "And I think we've put pay to Green's mining operation as well."

"Speaking of pay," Jessie said grabbing Pikachu with a pair of rubber gloves. "We'll take _this!_"

"Hey!" Ash yelled angrily. "Give me back Pikachu!"

"Not on your life!" Jessie snapped back.

"Yeah," James said coming to his team mate's support. "Thanks to you we lost our jewels! So your Pikachu will make a nice replacement!"

"Yeah so see you around!" Meowth added and with that said they ran off for their balloon which was tied down nearby.

"Can you believe this?!" Brock said angrily. "We save those creep's lives and they _still_ try and steal from us!"

"Tell me about it," Ash said as he threw a Pokéball. "Go Chikorita!"

"Chiko!" cried the grass Pokémon as she emerged out into the open. Chikorita was the third of Ash's Pokémon that he had captured at the start of his Johto journey. She was a four legged, light green skinned Pokémon about two feet, eleven inches tall with brown eyes, green buds growing around her neck like a collar and had a large leaf growing out of her head like a crest.

"Quick Chikorita," Ash called out. "Use Vine Whip and trip Team Rocket up!"

Obediently Chikorita whipped her vines out and tangled them up in Jessie's legs; she tripped and stumbled into her two team mates dropping Pikachu in the process.

Ash quickly ran forward and caught his partner before he hit the ground. "Gotcha buddy!" he cried cheerfully.

"Curse that twerp!" Jessie yelled drawing her own Pokéball. "Go Arbok!"

"Cha-mok!" cried the snake Pokémon as he emerged out into the open.

"Arbok use Poison Sting!"

With a cry of "Cha!" Arbok opened his mouth and fired off several poison needles at Chikorita.

"Quick Chikorita," Ash called out. "Dodge it and use tackle!"

Dodging to one side Chikorita avoided Arbok's attack, and before he could do anything else the grass Pokémon tackled him head on. The force of the attack sent Arbok flying into Jessie, James and Meowth causing them ALL to sail through the air and land in a heap in their balloon.

"Now Pikachu," Ash finished up. "Send these three off with a thundershock!"

"PI-KA-CHUUUUUU!" Pikachu roared releasing a huge bolt of electricity. The electron bolt flew through the air striking Team Rocket's balloon causing it to explode, sending the unlucky trio up off into the air again.

"I hate this!" Jessie fumed furiously. "No jewels, no Pikachu, no _**nothing!**_"

"Well," James said hopefully. "At least we have each other."

"That's even worse!" Meowth moaned.

"Wob!" Wobbuffet added mournfully.

"_**LOOK'S LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"**_ they yelled out together and disappeared over the horizon.

"Good riddance to you!" Misty yelled after them.

"Well now that that's over," Brock said practically. "I suggest we go back to the Pokémon Centre and see Nurse Joy. We can tell her that Union Cave is safe to travel through again and she can tell Officer Jenny."

"Good idea," Ash nodded. "Then we'd better call up Professor Oak and tell him what happened here."

"Yeah I guess you're right," Misty said thoughtfully. As Ash and Brock started to walk back to the Pokémon Centre, Misty turned back for one last look at Union Cave. "Do you think we've seen the last of Professor Green Ash?" she asked him

"Who knows Misty?" Ash called back from over his shoulder with a shrug. "Who knows?"

* * *

><p>And that dear friends is the end of this story, I hope you enjoyed reading it. Another thanks again to my Beta Reader Rohan for his work on this chapter and all the others. However don't despair, there will be ANOTHER sequel coming! It's called <strong>'The Mossdeep Missile'<strong> I will put it up in good time so keep your eyes peeled for it, until then read and review as always. Please tell your friends! See ya!


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